HOUSTON--For as many hurdles as the Tulane football program has cleared this season, it could not vault itself into a Conference USA Championship game.

The Green Wave came into Rice Stadium on Saturday already having secured its first bowl berth since 2002 by virtue of winning seven games this season. But it couldn’t get past its own offensive demons to vie for the West Division crown.

Tulane's biggest obstacle on Saturday turned out to be the chains – the Green Wave didn’t pick up a first down until the third quarter and couldn’t score on its final two possessions to move ahead of Rice in the regular-season finale. Tulane lost 17-13 to Rice in front of 20,048, eliminating it from contention for its first Conference USA Championship game.

Rice (9-3, 7-1 in C-USA), which entered the game in control of its West Division fate, will represent the West in the league championship against Marshall. Tulane (7-5, 5-3 in C-USA) leaves the league for the American Athletic Conference for the 2014 season having its best run in 11 years.

That didn’t provide much consolation for senior running back Orleans Darkwa, who recorded all 26 of the Green Wave’s rushing yards for the game.

“It’s still frustrating,” senior Orleans Darkwa said. “You don’t want to lose a game like that, especially when we could have won that game with it being so close. We had opportunities we didn’t capitalize on. I guess you know there is optimism that we are going to a bowl game but at the same time it’s still (frustrating) to take losses like that.”

Tulane's last offensive play was a heart-breaker.

With 1:56 to go, Green Wave quarterback Nick Montana took the field on a 4th-and-10 from the Tulane 3. Fans were praying for a miracle and Montana tried to oblige, darting around several streams of pressure in the pocket – located squarely in the mouth of the end zone – before launching the Hail Mary to star senior receiver Ryan Grant.

The ball was long enough – 42 yards – but just too wide. Grant caught the ball out of bounds and Rice ran out the clock for its first appearance ever in a C-USA championship game.

“It just came out of my hands before I wanted it to,” Montana said. “It’s killing me because I always make that throw. I kind of pride myself on making throws like that and I missed that one.”

It’s amazing the game was on the line late considering the lopsided box score. The Green Wave was out-gained 304-123 in total yards and out-possessed 39:51-20:09 minutes. All six of its first downs came after Darkwa plunged 2 yards on a carry to pass the marker with 5:58 left in the third quarter.

“It was very frustrating,” coach Curtis Johnson said. “It was hard to call the game. I feel bad for Eric (Price, offensive coordinator). What do you call when you are in 3rd-and-10 or 3rd-and-15? So I think that was one of the issues. We’ll address that and we’ll get better at that.”

Tulane’s Peter Picerelli punted eight times in the contest – many after three-and-out possessions that gave the Green Wave defense no rest.

“The thing about that when it comes to being fatigued, it’s a mindset. The mindset might be telling you, 'I’m tired, I can’t go.' You have to dig deep within yourself and pull something out,” Tulane defensive tackle Chris Davenport said.

The Green Wave defense struggled in spots against the mighty Owls' option attack, but kept Rice scoreless in the second half to keep Tulane in the game. Tulane linebacker Nico Marley forced two fumbles that led to Tulane scores – his second half-strip and fumble of Rice running back Charles Ross led to Tulane’s only touchdown of the game.

Marley recovered his forced fumble on the Rice 27. Montana found Xavier Rush for a 14-yard pass to kick off the drive and then threw a 13-yard touchdown to Devon Breaux in the left corner of the end zone to cut the Rice lead to 17-10 with 2:41 left in the third quarter.

The Green Wave put together its longest scoring drive of the evening early in the fourth quarter when Montana guided the Wave 61 yards on 11 plays—keyed by his 34-yard connection with Ryan Grant over the middle on a 2nd-and-8. Cairo Santos kicked his second field goal of the afternoon to slice the Owls’ lead to 17-13 with 10:14 left.

After passing for only 1 yard in the first half, Montana got better in the second half, finishing the night 14-of-31 for 97 yards. The offensive line had some injuries in the game—both tackle Arturo Uzdvavinis and guard Nate Shienle went out with injuries Saturday.

But the overall offensive push wasn’t there early. Tulane’s only first-half points came from Cairo Santos’ 30-yard field goal – made after Jordan Batiste recovered Marley’s sack and strip of McHargue on the Owls’ 18-yard line.

“I just think we started so slow and we have to play faster,” Johnson said. “Our offense needs a sense of urgency.”

Rice quickly struck back from the first quarter Santos field goal. Bryce Callahan knocked the ball out of Tulane running back Rob Kelley’s hands after he collected a pass from Montana. Rice’s Cody Bauer recovered for Rice on the Tulane 19.

Five seconds later Taylor McHargue found Turner Petersen in the right corner of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown to give Rice a 7-3 lead.

The Tulane defense held Rice touchdown-less from there, however. Derrick Strozier blocked a field goal in the first half and Tyler Gilbert sacked McHargue later in the first half, forcing a 50-yard Chris Boswell field goal attempt that went wide right.

Boswell hit a 36-yarder right before halftime for a 17-3 hafltime lead, but that was it for the Owls’ points in the contest.

“After the game, the star quarterback for Rice (Taylor McHargue) came and told (safety) Sam Scofield and a couple other guys that we were the best defense they had played all year and I think that was a great compliment from him. They have a great offense,” Davenport said.

McHargue completed 14-of-28 passes for 180 yards but was sacked seven times. No Tulane player had more than 1.5 sacks, so the assault came from many different positions. The defense broke up six Rice passes and hurried McHargue two times.

It also wrecked havoc on the Owls' run game. Rice entered the game averaging a league-best 250.0 yards a game but Tulane held the Owls to 124 yards Saturday.

In addition to the 10 tackles and two forced fumbles, and one recovered fumble, Marley had a sack and another tackle for loss.

“That kid plays well. He comes with the same energy at practice,” Davenport said. “I can see him as a Tyrann Mathieu-type because the type of plays Tyrann made during the game, he made those plays at practice and the things that Nico did tonight, he does that in practice everyday. I’m glad to see a young kid like himself as a true freshman grow up and make some big plays. The kid has a bright future.”

The bright future for all – which includes a bowl berth – wasn’t being celebrated in the moments after the loss, however.

There weren’t many smiles and there wasn’t much joy for the guys in green after the game. Johnson said it’s time for the players to start recognizing what they have accomplished, however.

“They made a jump in the program, in our second year here we got to a bowl game,” second-year coach Johnson said. “We didn’t play like we wanted to play. That’s why you have a whole season. The whole culmination of the season. I think these guys did a great job, they are getting rewarded with a bowl game. … I think I’m the only one of this team that’s ever been to a bowl and the last bowl I went to was the Super Bowl (as a New Orleans Saints assistant). So I think everyone is just happy to be a bowl game, in the postseason. Whenever we go, it will be great for us and great for our program.”